The Cardinals are looking forward to a big boost in Week 10.
Arizona plans to start quarterback Kyler Murray against the Falcons on Sunday barring a setback, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Monday.
Gannon also said that he intends to activate Murray off the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday and give him all the reps with the first-team offense in preparation of his first start since tearing his ACL in Week 14 of the 2022 season.
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Murray’s pending return will close a chapter in which the 1-8 Cardinals started more QBs than they had wins.
When Murray initially went on the PUP list at the beginning of training camp, the plan appeared to involve a QB battle between veteran Colt McCoy and rookie Clayton Tune until the 26-year-old proved healthy enough to return.
Instead, the Cards traded with the Browns for Josh Dobbs on Aug. 24 and released McCoy four days later.
Dobbs became the starter for the team’s first seven games. He led Arizona to a shocking upset victory over the Cowboys in Week 3 but went winless in his other six attempts. He was then demoted last week and subsequently traded to Minnesota, where he delivered Sunday’s most improbable moment by being pressed into action and leading a comeback win despite having only arrived on Wednesday.
His former team would enjoy none of that jubilation. The Cardinals started Tune, and the fifth-rounder went 11 of 21 for 58 yards and two interceptions in a 27-0 loss to the Browns.
Thus, Murray appears ready to re-enter the starting lineup with the 1-8 Cardinals far from contention. Even so, there’s still plenty to be accomplished over the next eight games.
Murray threw for 13,848 yards, 84 touchdowns and 41 picks with a 66.8 completion percentage over his first four seasons in the NFL and won the 2019 AP Offensive Player of the Year award. He’s reached two Pro Bowls.
Despite his accolades and the fact that Arizona signed him to an extension through 2028 two offseasons ago, his future with the Cardinals isn’t set in stone.
The new regime led by general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon neither drafted Murray nor inked him to his multi-year deal. They will be evaluating him with an eye to next season and beyond.
The electric Murray has the skill set to potentially meet their expectations. Hopefully for Arizona, he also stacks some wins along the way.
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